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Olmert aides: Sharm summit is just start of process
Officials in Jerusalem say no decisions are expected from Israel-PA conference in Egypt; meeting intends to lay groundwork for diplomatic negotiations between Israel and Fatah government, Olmert's aides say
The three are scheduled to meet before the Sunday cabinet session to decide on the message Olmert will carry with him to the four-way Egyptian summit in Sharm e-Sheik Monday.
Sources in the Prime minister's offices said that the government is very aware of the threat Hamas' regime in Gaza poses, as well as of the need to keep Gaza and the West Bank from separating into two entities.
Any separation, as Olmert sees it, is to be made between the Abbas government in Ramallah and that of former Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza.
The Israeli position is clear: Abbas' government would receive Israel's full support, while Hamas' regime must be undermined in any way possible.
Olmert intends to bring three decisions for approval in Sunday's session: The first in regards to recognizing the Fatah emergency government headed by Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.
Recognizing the new Palestinian regime means Israel would continue its negotiations with the PA in accordance with the road map, as long as the newly appointed government is willing to acknowledge Israel and renounce terror, and re-affirm previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements.
The Israeli government is also expected to authorize the release of Palestinian tax money held in Israel.
The government will also to demand Fayyad's government to pledge fighting terror in general and especially Hamas.
'Not expecting conclusions'
Officials in Olmert's office in Jerusalem said the goal of the Sharm e-Sheik summit Monday was to lay the groundwork for diplomatic negotiations with the Fatah government, rather than reach any final conclusions.
"We're not talking about finalizing things or reaching any decisions, but rather with launching a long process whose goal is to enable dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians," Olmert's aides said.
"This dialogue will be mediated by the moderate Arab states, headed by Jordan and Egypt," they said.
At this stage, the officials noted, the leadership had no intention yet of tackling the problems at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"These problems will not be discussed at the Sharm summit. The main goal of the summit is for each of the four participants to establish its expectations from the process, in order to create a dynamic which will strengthen Abbas in the short run, and allow for further dialogue with the moderate powers in the long run."
